Climbing party caught in blizzard on Hood

1918 - A 'rare entertainment' was being offered at the Gresham Grange 90 years ago.

Edyth Tozier Weatherred was to give 'a Hawaiian lecture in native grass costume.' While The Outlook's article did not say how she came by her expertise, she planned to show handiwork and souvenirs from the Sandwich Islands 'and will have some real Hawaiian music by natives of the ocean islands.'

1928 - The finest in lawnmowers was available at A.W. Metzger and Co. 80 years ago. It didn't make much noise. It didn't foul the air. And it was good aerobic exercise for the operator. (See photo.)

1938 - A mountain-climbing party on Mount Hood was caught in a surprise spring blizzard 70 years ago. Ed Nelson of Gresham was part of the group. Roy Varney of Portland froze to death before help could reach him, and a Vancouver, Wash.,-man was missing. Among the Gresham firefighters who attempted a rescue were Harry Bjur, Dalton Eggleston and Vince Rutherford.

1948 - An estimated 8,000 smelt dippers converged on the Sandy River in a single day 60 years ago for what old-timers claimed was the best smelt run in 22 years. No discernible smelt run occurred in the Sandy River this year.

1958 - A new emergency number went into effect in Gresham 50 years ago. If you needed the fire department, you dialed Mohawk 5-4141. In that theme, fire destroyed the Rockwood Unfinished Furniture Store at 182nd Avenue and Stark Street. And Adolf Sester of rural Gresham was the oldest person to receive and hold a fishing and hunting license in the state at the age of 95.

1968 - W.R. Hicks, dean of Gresham's business community, died 40 years ago at age of 95. The city's department store, W.R. Hicks and Co., bore his name in a day and age when people didn't think it was funny to buy something branded with 'Hicks.' Hicks started his store in Gresham in 1923.

1978 - A hearing on changes to the Banfield Transitway (Interstate 84) was held 30 years ago. Among the proposals, a light-rail transit system built into the freeway right of way. It was also 30 years ago that dieticians began to worry about the amount of sugar Americans were eating, saying that a lot of sugar was hidden in soft drinks, cereal and bakery goods.

1988 - The Centennial High HiCs won the state dance team championship 20 years ago. Three members posed for glitzy pictures, Laura Whittington, Lynn Hedrick and Tammy Trafnic. In another sign of spring, Rex and Lillian Raynor began selling daffodils from their home on Cleveland Avenue.

1998 - Shari's restaurants started in Hermiston in 1978 and 10 years ago marked the 20th anniversary of the chain, making the restaurant group 30 years old this year. The Gresham Shari's was opened in 1980. In other news, Ron Pennington, Centennial activist, and Gresham High's Brian Coakley, editor of the Gresham Argus, were citizen and youth citizen of the year in Gresham.

2007 - At this time the last year, the old Fred Meyer Rockwood store was vanishing at the hands of a demolition team. At the same time Riegelmann's appliance store in Gresham was getting ready for a major expansion. And Century farmer Ralph Clinton died at the age of 87, opening his family farm on Butler Road to future development.